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Don’t get me wrong, Flat Iron serves up a mean piece of meat. But what really stuck in my mind from a recent visit with my wife wasn’t what was on the plate. It was what came after the bill.
Two silver tokens, placed on the table with a little flourish. “These are for free ice creams,” the server said. “You can use them whenever you like.”
Reader, we did not wait. We practically sprinted. Despite the fact it was freezing. Despite the fact it was raining. Despite the fact we were full of steak. We stood outside in the drizzle, grinning like idiots, eating ice cream. And then, inevitably: we shared it on social media. We told friends. We remembered it.
And that’s the magic of moments like this: small, unexpected gestures that create delight, tell a story, and make people want to talk about your business.
And they’re not alone.
Capital One once had a customer casually mention, during a routine call, that she was mid-way through a horrendous kitchen renovation. Plaster dust everywhere. Nowhere to put her coffee. Just a throwaway comment. But two weeks later, a parcel arrived at her door: a memory foam kitchen mat, and a handwritten note from the rep she’d spoken to. It had no bearing on her credit limit, her APR, or her customer status. But it had everything to do with trust. A pure, unexpected deposit into what Stephen Covey would call her “Emotional Bank Account.”
It’s a concept worth borrowing. Covey says every relationship is like an emotional bank account. Each positive interaction makes a deposit. Each negative one is a withdrawal. The higher the balance, the higher the trust. Simple—and powerful.
Let’s deposit another story.
Omnisend—a B2B email marketing platform of all things—who’ve somehow mastered the art of being brilliantly, cheekily human. Brand Manager Pija Ona Indriūnaitė started sending T-shirts to customers that didn’t respond to account managers. But not just any T-shirts. One read: “I ghosted Omnisend, so they sent me this awesome T-shirt.” Another: “Another meeting that could have been an email.” It’s funny. It’s bold. It’s memorable.
And then there’s Chewy, the online pet retailer. When customers notify them that a beloved pet has passed away, Chewy often sends flowers, a pet portrait and a condolence card. No automated emails. No sneaky sales pitch for a new puppy bed. Just a human response to another human being. In a world of “click to cancel,” it stands out like a heartbeat in the silence. And crucially, it doesn’t feel like a marketing ploy. It feels like someone, somewhere, gave a damn.
Octopus Energy do too. After a simple call to update account details, a customer casually mentioned they were recovering from surgery. The rep could have said “Hope you feel better soon” and carried on. Instead, a few days later, a bouquet of flowers arrived at the customer’s home. No fanfare. Just kindness. A deposit made.
So what can estate agents learn from this?
Our industry is built on relationships. But too often, we stop nurturing them the second the keys change hands.
But you don’t have to stop there.
What if, instead of the standard home move box filled with wet wipes and oatcakes, you used AI to create a Pixar-style image of their new home being lifted into the sky by helium balloons in the style of Up, and framed it as a gift?
What if you logged a throwaway comment the client made about their son’s graduation date in your CRM and sent a handwritten congratulations card months after the move?
What if you stopped expecting to be offered tea and coffee upon arrival at the market appraisal, and called ahead to offer one from the local coffee shop?
What if you looked for tiny ways to say: “We care.”
Because when you do that, you’re not just closing deals—you’re making deposits. You’re creating moments worth talking about.
And in a business that thrives on referrals, reputation, and retention—that’s the kind of marketing money can’t buy.
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#power #ice #cream #surprise #wins #business
